Lifting device for raising and freeing stuck vehicles

ABSTRACT

A portable lifting device for raising and freeing stuck and mired vehicles including a pair of wide spaced generally flat channel iron supporting plates spanned and having a wide flat channeled base plate removably connected thereto with the lower end of a two part telescopically adjustable lever fulcrummed therein. The lever is angled toward the stuck vehicle and a chain from a towing vehicle is positioned over the forked upper end of the lever and is attached to the vehicle so that when a pull is exerted on the chain the lever swings upwardly and forwardly and lifts the attached end of the vehicle until the lever falls free of the chain permitting the vehicle to be towed thereover without interruption.

This invention relates to a portable lifting device for raising andfreeing stuck and mired vehicles.

While various leverage devices have been proposed for freeing stuckvehicles, such devices have not proved satisfactory because of theircomplexity, weight and being too cumbersome. In addition, these devicesusually require being so interconnected to the towing chain and vehiclebeing towed that when the vehicle is raised the lifting device must bedisconnected from the chain and removed from the path of the vehiclebefore towing may be effected.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a simple,inexpensive, relatively light lifting device which may be carrieddisassembled in the trunk of a vehicle and may be assembled with easerelative to a towing chain so that when the vehicle is raised the devicewill collapse and permit towing to continue without interruption.

Another object is to provide a lifting device including a three partflat base to which a two part telescoped lever may be pivotallyconnected by a hinge pin and wherein the upper end is provided withchain receiving means so that a towing chain connected to a towingvehicle and the vehicle being towed may be removably positionedthereover and will be automatically disengaged therefrom when liftinghas been completed.

A further object is the provision of a portable lifting device whereinthe lever thereof is so removably hinged to the base plate that thedevice is supported with stability and prevented from toppling duringthe lifting and towing operations.

Still another object is the provision of a lifting device wherein theflat channel iron base plates are removably interconnected with wingnuts, and the lever is formed with a bearing at its lower end andaccepts a hinge pin therein for connection to the base plate.

A still further object is to provide a lifting device which may be setup with ease and is adaptable for use in pulling and removing fenceposts, tree stumps and other embedded objects, in addition to use inraising and towing stuck vehicles.

These and various other objects and advantages will be apparent as thespecification is considered with the accompanying drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the assembled lifting device in theposition it assumes when the towing chain is arranged thereover andconnected to a vehicle to be lifted;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the lifting device showing the componentparts thereof as interconnected for assembly;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the lifting device in the FIG. 1 positionprior to lifting;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation showing the position assumed by the lever inlifting the vehicle; and

FIG. 5 is a side elevation showing the generally flat collapsed positionassumed by the lever after lifting.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein similar referencecharacters designate like parts throughout the several views, numeral 1generally designates a base including a pair of spaced invertedrelatively wide flat channel iron metal supporting plates 2 havingdownturned side flanges 3. A relatively wide flat channel iron metalbase plate 4 having upturned side flanges 5 is flatly positioned on andspans the plates 2 intermediate the ends thereof. Bolts 6 extendupwardly through aligned spaced holes in each of plates 2 and base plate4 and receive wing nuts 7 on the upper ends to removably interconnectthe plates.

A square shaped elongated tubular lever 8 telescopically receives asmaller elongated square shaped section 9 in the upper end thereof, andaperatures 10 in lever 8 may be aligned with a series of spacedapertures 11 in section 9 and a suitable pin 12 removably positionedtherethrough to retain the two sections of the lever at the desiredlength. The lower end of lever 8 is formed with a tubular bearing 13extending transversely thereof and which may snugly be received betweenthe side flanges 5 of base plate 4 so that an elongated cylindrical pin14 having an enlarged head 15 may slidably extend through alignedapertures 16 in flanges 5 and bearing 13 to removably and pivotallyfulcrum the lever thereto.

The upper end of lever section 9 is formed with a pair of spaced fingers17 which provide a channel through which a chain 18 from a towingvehicle, not shown, may extend so that the outer end of chain 18 may beattached by a suitable hook, not shown, to one end of a stuck vehicle 19to be raised and towed. In this connection, it will be understood thatthis device may be arranged or positioned at the front end of thevehicle, as shown in the drawing, or at the rear end should it bedesired to elevate the latter.

When it is desired to elevate the front end of vehicle 19, the base 1 isarranged at and spaced from the front end and the plates 2 and 4interconnected, and lever 8 pivotally assembled thereon. Towing chain 18is then positioned between fingers 17 and lever 8 is angled toward thefront end of the vehicle so that the forward end of the chain may behooked thereto, with the other end of the chain being connected to thetowing vehicle, When a pull is exerted on the chain, lever 8 will swingupwardly about its hinge pin 14 to the vertical position of FIG. 4 thuselevating and freeing the front end of the vehicle. Continued movementof the chain causes lever 8 to swing forwardly and drop freely bygravity to the collasped generally flat position of FIG. 5 where thelever rests upon base plate 4 disengaging the chain therefrom andenabling the vehicle to be pulled forwardly over the collapsed liftingdevice, in an obvious manner. It will be understood that the flanges 3on plate 2 will sink into the ground and will prevent slippage of thedevice.

When the lifting and towing operation has been completed, as aforesaid,the various component parts may be readily disassembled and may behoused in a suitable container, not shown, for storage in the vehicletrunk.

It should be apparent that the forward end of chain 18 could be suitablyconnected to some other embedded object, sich as, a fence post or treestump, not shown, so that the latter may be pulled and lifted from theground, in generally the same manner as has just been described.

While a preferred embodiment of this lifting device has been shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that various changes and improvementsmay be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of theappended claims.

What I claim is:
 1. A lifting device for raising and freeing stuckvehicles comprising a pair of relatively wide flat spaced channeledsupporting plates, a relatively wide flat channeled base plate spanningand removably interconnected to said supporting plates, an elongatedsquare shaped tubular lever, a square shaped upper sectiontelescopically received in said lever, a transverse tubular bearing onthe lower end of said lever, said bearing positioned on said base plateand receiving hinge pin means therein for pivotally connecting saidlever thereto, means on the upper end of said upper lever section forreceiving a towing chain therethrough for connection to a vehicle to beraised and towed, whereby a pull exerted on said chain will pivot saidlever upwardly to raise and free the vehicle and thereafter cause saidlever to collapse forwardly to disengage said chain and permit continueduninterrupted forward travel of the vehicle.
 2. A lifting device forraising and freeing stuck vehicles as defined in claim 1, wherein saidsupporting plates have downturned flanges thereon for engaging theground and preventing slippage thereof.
 3. A lifting device for raisingand freeing stuck vehicles as defined in claim 1, wherein said lever andsaid upper section thereof are apertured to receive pin means thereinfor adjustable interconnection.
 4. A lifting device for raising andfreeing stuck vehicles as defined in claim 1, wherein said base platehas upturned apertured flanges thereon and said lever bearing isinterposed between said flanges whereby said hinge pin means extendsthrough said flanges and bearing to pivotally interconnect said leverand plate.
 5. A lifting device for raising and freeing stuck vehicles asdefined in claim 4, wherein said hinge pin means is cylindrical and hasenlarged head on one end thereof for removable insertion in saidbearing.
 6. A lifting device for raising and freeing stuck vehicles asdefined in claim 1, wherein said supporting and base plates areapertured to receive bolts and wing nuts for removable interconnection.